


One Dark Valentine Night

by Trinket



Category: Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series
Genre: M/M, Thriller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29513667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trinket/pseuds/Trinket
Summary: Clark wished he'd known at the beginning of Bruce's visit.I chose to pinch-hit the following prompt for the Batsupes Secret Valentines Exchange 2021 event.7. Prompt: My bloody valentineRating of Fic Preferred: Uhm. Any is fine? Go R when in doubtUp to Four Deal-Breakers: Uhm. Watersports and scatophilia, Incest, including pseudo incest. No I don't know why these would come up.I especially enjoy: Fluff, humor, sass, pwp, somehow everyone living against all expectations
Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24
Collections: Batsupes Secret Valentines Exchange 2021





	One Dark Valentine Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JusticePlague](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JusticePlague/gifts).



Clark grinned as he sat down on the couch with a freshly popped bowl of popcorn and a root beer float with two straws. “Come on B, this is a great movie.”

Bruce shook his head as he sat back in his seat next to Clark. “Why would you want to watch this on Valentine's, Clark? The holiday isn’t about serial killers.”

He took a handful of popcorn and munched on it, allowing himself a bit of time to come up with a reasonable response. Not that what he actually said was reasonable at all. “I figured since you’ve opted out of the dating scene and bemoaned Valentine’s Day and all the expectations that come along with it, that you might rather enjoy this. You love a good mystery after all.”

The other man stared at Clark. “I thought  _ this _ was a date with  _ you _ .”

  
  
His eyes widened when he said that. His mouth agape he tried to speak, but couldn’t quite get the words out and then it was too late as the movie began past the starting credits. It _had_ to be a joke. If only it _weren’t._   
Bruce shook his head and stared at the screen.

  
  
Not wanting to make anything awkward Clark picked up their root beer float and took a sip out of the blue straw. When he sat the glass back down he stared at the black straw.

His heart thumped hard against his chest. Sharing a glass with two straws was something couples did, wasn’t it? Had they been dating this whole time and he just hadn’t  _ realized it!? _

No. way! This had to be a more recent development, at least if it wasn’t some elaborate joke. Popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth he thought about how Bruce thought of jokes and his run-ins with the Joker whether in the guise of Batman, or Brucie Wayne. This wasn’t something Bruce would joke about.   
  


Within ten minutes of the movie playing the power cut out in the entire building. There were few of Clark’s neighbors there as they’d decided to go out, or to visit family with their children.

Clark blinked. “Huh.” He set aside what popcorn was left and looked around for a flashlight and batteries. 

He pointed out the obvious, “There wasn’t any storm brewing. Unless something big knocked over one of the cable poles,”

Clark added, “or a poor little squirrel got electrocuted,”

Bruce repeated Clark’s own addition before continuing, “Then either the electric company is at fault, or something more sinister is in the process of being committed.”

“I hate when you’re so pessimistic, Bruce.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he arched a brow, “I’m being realistic, Clark. Check if any other buildings are without power.”

Walking over to the window, Clark looked out and squinted to activate his greater vision. It didn’t work, because of course it didn’t. When he needed it most, it refused to activate. But he could still see the nearby buildings. Once he’d had a look in each direction he blinked and shook his head. Turning to Bruce he told him, “No other buildings have lost any power. Perhaps none within a mile radius of here, if my assumption is correct. Only this building. But if it were just a problem with one breaker it would only be a few rooms, not the whole building.”

“Not everyone is in the building.”

“I think a lot of them had dates, if not work.”

Bruce frowned, “I’m not liking the sounds of this.”

“Neither am I.” He gulped, he might be Superman when he wasn’t in his civilian clothes, but less than twenty-four hours ago he’d unleashed the Solar Flare. Which meant he was currently vulnerable without his powers. And he remembered something which had him shuddering. “What if…,” he shook his head.  _ No. Impossible! _

“What if, what, Clark?”

For a moment he wasn’t sure he should say anything at all. But it was difficult to keep secrets from this particular man. And when one tried, he somehow always managed to find out. There wasn’t a mystery that Bruce Wayne could keep away from, nor leave unsolved. Especially when it concerned the heroes of the Justice League. The guy was far too paranoid with the idea of any one of them going rogue, or being controlled somehow. Not that the latter hadn’t been proven time and again.

“Well?” Bruce stared at him, eyes narrowed, gaze intent.

He swallowed over the lump that had formed in his throat before sitting back down and running a hand down his face. “Last year and the year before last there were horror stories.”

“And?” Bruce cast his gaze in the direction of the small television set they’d been watching the movie on earlier.

“These weren’t tales that they saw on television, Bruce.” That had the other man staring at him again, this time with pursed lips.

That got the man’s eyes to narrow again and him to ask gruffly, as if he were in the Batsuit, “What are you not telling me?”

“Last year there was a massacre. Small, but intentional. The same as the year before that. One building's lights would go out and anyone inside of them died. There were few survivors and those who did survive had to either be institutionalized, or they OD’d either on drugs or from alcohol poisoning within the first six months after. They couldn’t unsee nor unhear what they had. But the murderer always slipped away, leaving no trace of evidence behind in their wake. Any that was found either belonged to the victims, an animal, or no one in the database.”

Bruce sank down next to him and pulled him into his arms.

Clark blinked. “Bruce?” He stared at him, not quite able to comprehend that Bruce was the one initiating a hug. They were the best of friends, but Clark was always the one to go in for a hug, never Bruce.

“It’s fine Clark. We’ll be fine. This could just be a coincidence.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Bruce frowned. “No.”

He chuckled, “Thanks for the brutal honesty,” he shuddered at the thought of what could happen if there were a serial killer walking the halls of the building.

“You’re welcome.”

With a shake of his head he pressed his forehead to Bruce’s. His gaze lowered to the other man’s lips. If not for the worry over the Bloody Valentine Marauder he’d have been tempted to swoop in for a kiss. Yet he didn’t want to ruin his friendship with Bruce.

One of Bruce’s hands however rested on Clark’s upper thigh. He gulped, because if the other man’s hand, or even a finger moved just a little bit, Bruce would be able to feel just how his presence was affecting him. Even in the face of potential danger. Yet that was an everyday part of both their lives. Except Clark didn’t usually have to deal with being vulnerable unless the green rock were involved.

Slipping away from him he stood and began to pace.

Staring at the door to his apartment, Bruce stood behind him, hand on his shoulder.

“Stay here, Clark,” he barked out an order in the gravelly voice of Batman.

Before Clark could stop him, he was at his door. Where he stood behind it even as the doorknob was rattled. And then something crashed into his door. The blade of an axe.

Bruce jumped back and pulled out a Batarang, because of course he did. Even without his cowl on he still carried around some tricks of his Battrade.

When the door was kicked in, those Batarangs went flying and so too did a tiny dart. Which hit the masked man right in the neck. He dropped within seconds.

“We need to collaborate, Clark,”

Clark nodded as he picked up the phone to alert the police department. If only he’d had his powers he could have changed into his Kryptonian suit and flown the serial killer to the police with mention of the crime scene and any evidence that might be found there. Instead, he and Bruce had to wait for them to arrive on the scene.

Clark couldn’t look at the masked fiend any longer and the police probably didn’t want them to touch anything. And he didn’t want to leave his fingerprints on any part of the criminal or their tools of the  _ murder. _

He heard Bruce walking behind him and grumbling nonsensically as he removed any evidence of Batman’s presence. Batman after all wasn’t there and Bruce didn’t want his fingerprints to show up on  _ his _ tools of vigilantism.

Bruce walked in front of him and stood. Placed his hands on Clark’s shoulders. Tilted Clark’s head back by his chin. “You okay, boy scout?”

Clark chuckled, “You’re more prepared than a boy scout, B.”

“Hnn,” Bruce closed in on him.

  
  
Clark’s eyes widened and then fluttered to a close, long dark lashes casting shadows on his cheek as his mouth parted beneath the onslaught of Bruce’s kiss.

  
  
Definitely not a joke. This  _ had _ been a date. That had gone very  _ very  _ wrong.

When he opened his eyes to peak at Bruce he noticed his eyes had closed too while their arms had wrapped around each other.

Breaking the kiss at the sound of the ever encroaching sirens he turned around and gasped. “Bruce!”

“What?”

“Th-th-the killer!”

Bruce frowned at him and then flicked his gaze at the body, or where the body should have been. “They should have still been out like a light.”

Clark huddled close to Bruce, breath coming in harsh as he looked around the room for any sign of the criminal at large. If only he’d removed the damn mask, or if his x-ray vision had been working he could have at least seen their face!

One of the police men stepped inside, carefully placing first one foot and then another over the axe the murderer had left behind.

While the officer took Bruce’s statement, Clark walked over to the window. Dark clouds had gathered making the area around the building darker still. He could just make out one small light and through the crack in the window heard a motorcycle being revved. 

A flash of lightning crackled the air and struck atop one of the buildings with its tall lightning rod. Which was immediately followed by the crack of lighting even before he could think the words  _ one one-thousand. _

Heart pounding as if it were trying to escape his rib cage he turned and went to stand at Bruce’s side. He gave his own account of what had happened as other police officers arrived to take down their witness statements.

  
  
Still shaken, once the officers had left, he grabbed hold of Bruce’s hand. “You… you’re not going to leave tonight, are you?”

Bruce took what felt like an eternity, but was only a few seconds before he shook his head and lifted Clark’s palm to his lips. “No, Clark. I’m staying here tonight.” He tugged Clark back to the couch where he sat down and pulled Clark down onto his lap.

Clark groaned as Bruce’s lips captured his again and one hand felt warm against his back while the other fisted his hair.

The serial killer was still at large, but at least no one had died this Valentine’s. But knowing Batman, the man wouldn’t rest until the villain was caught and neither would investigative reporter, Clark Kent.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun prompt, but I'm unsure that I did it the justice it so obviously deserved. As long as you got some enjoyment out of it, I'll be a content li'l ol' author. Particularly if the prompter got a kick out of it.
> 
> Now, if'n you readers enjoyed this and are curious about where the event was born, look no further than the [Batsupes Community Discord](https://discord.gg/dmjnDNh).


End file.
